Punk culture was primarily concerned with taking rock stars off their pedestals. In the early 1970s, excellent music emerged. John Lydon desired to crush everything in rock history under his feet and start afresh with the Sex Pistols. But he acknowledged that he had his boundaries and that stepping into the shoes of someone like Paul McCartney was a little too much for him to handle.
It’s not like Macca was going to be competing against punk anytime soon before we even got into what Lydon was doing. Paul McCartney, known for his happy Beatles songs, seemed an unlikely fit for brash guitars and mean lyrics. Yet, he ventured into various musical styles, demonstrating surprising versatility.
Not that he didn’t have any memorable moments. “Helter Skelter” showcased chaotic brilliance on The White Album. However, no one anticipated similar work from the artist behind “Mull of Kintyre” and “Silly Love Songs.”
While McCartney wasn’t a punk in terms of genre, he was in terms of style. There are plenty of heartfelt musical moments on his records, but he also defied popular opinion quite a bit. Even though a song like “Band on the Run” defies every pop song convention, he manages to fit it into the hit parade without any problems.
The first time he met Paul McCartney, even when Wings was still at its peak, Lydon admitted to feeling embarrassed. Having been absorbed by Public Image Ltd, Lydon was unprepared to take on the role of one of the next big rock stars.
That was awful, John Lydon said to Piers Morgan, adding that he was too frightened to even look in McCartney’s direction. My spouse, Nora, and I were headed to my brother’s house in Tottenham. Paul and Linda McCartney are the two individuals who run across the street as we pass Harrods. They are rattling the taxi window. After locking the door, I looked away. I was unable to handle it. It was excessive.
The Beatles will always exist in some form. Lydon has stated he instinctively tried removing them from his musical lexicon. Usually, McCartney is to blame for this. Sex Pistols’ debut album shares common chords with Chuck Berry-style fills. The Fab Four similarly used them in their Cavern years.
In addition to praising the song “Pretty Vacant,” McCartney was fairly modest, expressing his enjoyment of it. He even attempted to infuse some punk inspiration into Wings, evident in tracks like “Spin It On” from Back to the Egg. Punk, while not the most refined genre for aging rock stars like McCartney, might reveal more edge in him than credited if he could spook someone like Lydon. It suggests depths to McCartney’s persona that might surprise many.
